Update: Some concerns about this post and its lack of representation of black women specifically came to our attention and we wanted to address that and update this list to better reflect the myriad voices who are staying strong and speaking the truth throughout these troubling times.
We’re living in a mad, mad, mad, mad world right now, and staying sane is vital. One way to do it is to delete your Twitter account and move to a very, very remote part of the world, out of reach from the tentacles of the Trump administration. Or, you could do the opposite and face the insanity head on by staying hyper-informed about all the batshit crazy things happening on a seemingly hourly basis, in the hopes that somehow, reason will prevail. If you’re going with the second option (our recommendation) then it helps to have some pillars of sanity to help steady you amidst the chaos. The ascension of Donald Trump has led many in the media (social and mainstream) to speak out forcefully and consistently against injustices. There are too many to choose from, but you could do worse than paying attention to the ones below.
This author, academic, and political correspondent is a ferocious and constant tweeter, often in multiple-part, breathless attacks on the administration. Most recently, Sexton has turned his ire on the rise of Steve Bannon.
One of the organizers of the Women's March on Washington, Sarsour is a vocal activist and an amazing resource for the myriad movements happening around the country and the world today. Her ability to advocate for so many important causes is endlessly impressive and we're lucky to have her work lighting the way forward.
Barack Obama’s former senior advisor, Axelrod is now the director at the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago, where he hosts a clear-eyed interview podcast. His conversation with Sean Spicer showed a reasonable side of the now-Press Secretary that has all but vanished since the inauguration. Sad!
For the last two years, New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman has been a North Star in the wilderness that was Donald Trump’s ascension Now that he’s president, the Times’ resident Trump expert continues her improbable reporting, recently landing an interview with Trump about life in the White House, despite his ongoing death match with Haberman’s publication.
Co-host, along with the also wonderful Heben Nigatu, of the Another Round podcast, Clayton is a much needed voice of hilarity and clarity right now, and she frequently calls out the many absurdities of the times we're living in, while also leaving plenty of room to comment on the pop culture issue du jour, reminding us that life in all its beautiful craziness still continues despite the scary shit at our doorstep.
This writer and activist now greets her nearly 60,000 Twitter followers with a simple and powerful wake-up call: “GOOD MORNING FROM THE RESISTANCE!” Brennan’s account is also a practical and informative guide to how and where you can organize.
Harris might be a career entertainment writer (one of the best out there), but where his Twitter feed was once a destination for Hollywood insiders and pop culture nuts, it is now a go-to for anyone searching for a dose of humanity and reason during this chaotic time. Harris has also written some fascinating articles about the intersection of Hollywood, Trump, and the Media for Vulture, where he’s a regular contributor.
The former editor-in-chief of The New Inquiry has overseen some of the brainiest and most literary political coverage around. She is currently the Director of Development at Viceland, and as a Pakistani-American, has been a blistering critic of the Trump’s Administration’s discrimination against Muslims.
Like his deeply informative Twitter account informs us, Corn is a Washington bureau chief of Mother Jones, and a regular guest on MSNBC. Corn, a respected and veteran journalist, broke the story of the now-infamous “Trump dossier” (the one with the peeing), all the way back in October.
Started by Opal Tometi, Alicia Garza, and Patrisse Cullors, Black Lives Matter has been working toward acheiving equal treatment for black people for years now; the organization's activism is an inspiration as this nation moves forward, and is an inspiration to all resistence movements everywhere.
This freelance writer became a prominent voice when her article about Donald Trump for Teen Vogue went viral. That led to television appearances on cable news, including one on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show where Duca refused to let the host bully her, and proved she’s just as sharp on live television as she is behind a laptop.
Just hired as a writer for The Daily Show, Cauley is a cogent voice who has us laughing out loud, even as we're on the verge of tears at the horrors we're witnessing. Cauley has a unique ability to cut through the bullshit spewing forth from this presidential administration and making us feel hopeful about the future. Hell, if she's in it and making jokes, it can't be all that bad.
Once the subject of a lengthy and much talk-about New York Times Magazine profile, Obama’s so-called “foreign policy guru” (he was instrumental in restarting relations with Cuba), Rhodes is now using his expertise (and Twitter account) to point towards this administration’s many absurdities, hypocrisies, and overall danger.
Jon Favreau/Jon Lovett/Dan Pfeiffer/Tommy Vietor
Rhodes’ colleagues in the Obama White House, these four found their calling after politics by hosting the Keepin’ It 1600 podcast on the Channel 33 Network. Although they probably didn’t plan on continuing it if the election results had turned out differently, after November 8 it became more essential than ever. That led to the birth of Crooked Media, and its inaugural show, Pod Save America. It is essential, insightful listening, and their Twitter accounts are terrific companion pieces.
Until today, Nuzzi was a contributor at The Daily Beast, distinguishing herself for her painstaking coverage of all things Trump. Literally today, it was announced that Nuzzi would be joining New York magazine as their Washington correspondent, beginning February 6.
A writer for VICE Canada, Hagi is a much-needed voice on issues like discrimination against Muslims as well as misogyny and other systemic problems. Plus, she's the one responsible for the phrase "Lord, give me the confidence of a mediocre white man," so basically, we should all be paying attention to everything she ever says.
BuzzFeed News’ political editor is a voracious tweeter, and is putting the common good ahead of precious pageviews by consistently tweeting out links to some of the best political writing from around the web.
This New York Times columnist is one of the most potent voices against the Trump administration. His latest article, “No, Trump, Not On Our Watch,” is a cold-blooded curb-stomping of the current White House and a powerful, hopeful call to action. #NotOnOurWatch is currently trending on Twitter.
Unlike many of her media counterparts, Daily Beast senior editor Erin Ryan has managed to keep her sense of humor amidst all the doom and gloom, evident not just on her enjoyable Twitter feed, but also on her Girl Friday podcast, which is “for and by women in the media.”
Slate has established itself as one of the most consistent and thorough truth-tellers in these uncertain times, so keeping tabs on its chief political correspondent is a no-brainer.
